How a Custom Cabinet Shop Embraced the Future and Learned to Love Cell Manufacturing
SMI Cabinet production increases 35 percent with new equipment
By David Welch
SMI Cabinetry has finally embraced cell manufacturing technology, but not without some resistance from the company’s personnel. In what has become a familiar theme for cabinetmakers at the end of the 20th century, Russ Bergin, owner of the Orlando based custom cabinet manufacturer, realized that in order to increase capacity for his production process, modernization would have to be his next step.
However, Bergin faced two obstacles. First, he had to find the right equipment for his process. Second, he had to convince his production personnel that this was the right direction for them. Bergin employs 40 at his 30,000-square-foot-facility. According to Bergin, SMI is now seeing at least a 10 percent increase in gross sales every year. The company topped $3 million last year.
"You could say our personnel were reluctant to accept the new technology," Bergin said. "They fought it kicking and screaming. However, now they all see the benefit in the investment."
The investment that Bergin refers to was the purchase of a Weeke BP 12 CNC machining center, a Holzma panel saw and a Primus 1436 edgebander from Holz-Her. The machining center and the panel saw are tied to AutoCAD with Cut-Rite Software.
The first of these machines purchased by Bergin was the edgebander. "I shopped while attending some of the trade shows and the Holz-Her edgebander was the best for our operation," he said. Bergin knew his next investment would be in a machining center and a panel saw and decided to give all of the available manufacturers a look. Stiles Machinery, distributors of both Weeke and Holzma, stepped forward with a unique marketing plan.
"Stiles actually took me to Germany so I could see the machines in use over there," Bergin said. "It was beneficial in that I could talk with the owner of the machinery and get his impressions. I also wanted to deal with only one distributor for this equipment. So I bought both pieces from Stiles."
Despite concerns of personnel, machine set up for custom cabinetry is faster than expected. With one of the obstacles out of the way, Bergin then turned to his personnel. "Our guys’ initial reservations about the new technologies were that the parts wouldn’t fit." Also, some were concerned with the fact that SMI is primarily a custom cabinet manufacturer and that the machinery seemed better suited for long runs of the same sized boxes.
"There was an added concern that the time to set up each machine was not going to benefit our production speed," said Dave Smith, production manager. "But that was wrong. Even though we are programming different sizes for every project, the software quickly enables the machines to set up and optimize materials. It is still much faster than before."
Mike Martin, cabinet designer, has been with SMI for 15 years. "It was a big adjustment with the new machines," he said. "We had been doing everything by hand. Everything seems to be rolling along smoothly now. It’s just like anything new. Your mindset is into what you have been doing for years and years and something new comes along that you know little about. You say ‘that can’t work the way they say it will,’ but then you get into it and find out that it does. Now I wonder how in the world we did it before we bought this equipment. I can’t believe we were doing all of this by hand."
"There was a learning curve on it but we are certainly seeing the advantages of our investment," Bergin said. "We used to have four table saws in production and we used to cut everything manually, but that is a thing of the past. Now we program the saw, put a label on each piece and take that piece to the machining center. The label tells what has to be done. Then we take each piece in a box with the label, a blueprint, the hardware and any material needed, and give it to one of our installation crews."
"Essentially, I can take the AutoCAD drawing that I have, put in variables for height, width and depth of a certain cabinet, and the software automatically will give me my pieces; then I just have to set up those pieces," said Smith. "Once I have plugged in the dimensions and the size of material to be used, I hit a button called optimize and the program itself lays all of the boards out and creates patterns."
The material goes to the saw, and then after sizing, it goes to the machining center where Cut-Rite sets the drilling patterns and whether or not the material needs to be grooved.
Then all the doors, shelves and whatever else needs edgebanding goes to the edgebander and then on to assembly.
Consistency, as well as faster production, have been the biggest advantages for SMI. "Now our shelves are all perfect. Before the investment the shelves might be a quarter inch too long or short," said Bergin. "The doors are all cut perfectly, the boxes are all completely square. They weren’t always that way. We also can turn cabinets around much quicker now. I can take a six-foot cabinet and get it out the door in six hours - from start to finish."
After modest beginnings, Bergin now prepares to hand operation over to his son and daughter. Bergin started SMI when he tired of the travelling involved with remodeling for a national chain of restaurants. He bought the cabinet shop which at that time had three employees. All three quit when the company was sold.
"I didn’t know a lot about the business at the time," he said. "I learned as I went along. Once I figured out what I was doing, I got more work, then hired another guy. When I got about seven employees and was out chasing work most of the day, I hired a foreman." In the late ‘80s Bergin’s son, Bill, and daughter Terri joined the business.
"Today, because of the work of Bill and Terri, we are doing three times the business we were before they joined me.
"Now my son is pretty much running the business 100 percent. He makes sure that he makes every delivery date. Most of the jobs we do are $100,000 or larger. We do almost all of the commercial interiors in downtown Orlando; we also do work with Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World. We could do 100 percent with Disney if we wanted to, but we learned early on that you don’t put your eggs all in one basket."
In 1989, Bergin made the mistake of putting all of his efforts into the original Universal Studios project. When construction was finished, there was little for SMI to do. "I had to scratch all over again to find business," Bergin said.
"Today, everything we do is specified through an architect or a designer," Bergin said. "When they specify what they want, we create a shop drawing for their approval. We consider ourselves a custom shop, but being a custom shop still means that 70 percent of our work is building boxes. Customizing boxes is basically what we do."
SMI produces approximately 70 percent plastic laminate cabinets, and 30 percent hardwood cabinets.
According to Bergin, the equipment has been a benefit, but the personnel operating the equipment is just as important. "The key to the success of any company is not necessarily the machinery, it is the people working in the shop. Here, if you go upstairs and look out over the shop, you see that everyone is doing their job and that is what they are paid to do. We offer them good wages and good benefits and in return we expect them to give us their best effort. That is what sets us apart from the rest."
Please contact webmaster@modernwoodworking.com with your comments.
